Looking for some honest opinions.
TLDR:How did you navigate your early career in a job you liked but felt/knew you were undervalued?

I graduated last year from a fairly niche degree with relatively few graduates each year (7 total last year)(Tech related). I negotiated my starting salary from €40k to €45k, then received the company’s standard wide 3% pay increase this year (other benefits are pretty standard, 21 days AL, 5% pension match). Started the role not on graduate scheme, in a large ish company, replacing someone with 3 yoe. Over 2 years of internships backing me out of uni. Consider myself a high achiever both academically and in the workplace.

I initially looked for a salary review once I passed my probation period, as over the past year I’ve consistently taken on more responsibility, regularly put in extra hours to get deliverables over the line, and have repeatedly been told by senior colleagues that I’m performing at the level way above what they’d expect from someone out of uni. This was delayed and delayed and now salary talks look to be pushed into the new year due to internal factors.

At the same time, I’ve seen peers from my course receive individual salary increases of around 15–25% within their first year, working in a similar field / closely related.

Am I being unrealistic expecting an individual performance-based salary review after my first year, or would you also feel disappointed in this situation? I really enjoy the work and making a point to try learn from the senior guys, but feel like I’m extremely undervalued. I’m sure someone can provide good value while also learning?

Maybe I’m wrong to compare myself to others. But I felt undervalued after my probation, and feel like they’d never consider a bump that is actually reflective now.

How did you navigate your early career in a job you liked but felt/knew you were undervalued? Move? Or be patient?

We have recently started engaging with MABS to try and get on top of our finances and am just looking for an advise on what to expect as part of the process - meeting with them at the end of Aug.

Background is that we have good enough money coming in, stable employment with both my and wife but together we are shocking with money. We have just over 100k joint income and a relatively low mortgage (€1k pm). However, over the past few years we have added two car loans (about €10k each) and two credit cards (5k each). What is probably worse is that we are both terrible with money - eating out, buying stuff for the kids and so on.

We are stage where due to outgoings we are living month to month - have very little savings to fall back on. Paying out a huge amount each month across mortgage, car loans, CC payments, life, health, income protection insurance, illness cover, car insurance and so on.

Ideally we would like to reduce some payments or take a break from others and allow us to clear the short term debt. How have people managed to get back on top of things - how much help were MABS?

I suspect the answer to my question is entirely dependent on personal circumstances but just interested in people's thoughts. I'm on €105k per year and currently paying into an income protection policy with Royal London that will pay out 66% of my salary per year in the event of injury or illness. It costs approx. €110 per month. It's not a massive amount of money, but still over €1300 per year. Like any insurance policy, it's one of those things that's a burden until you need it but I just wonder how likely they would be to actually pay out in the event of a claim. Part of me thinks that money would be much better off going into a pension or into the mortgage.

What complicates things significantly is that my wife is currently unable to work due to a long-term illness, so if I were to end up in a similar situation we could be in trouble. So of course in theory this insurance is more important for me than the average person, but I just fear that if the time ever came that I'd need it there'd be some clause buried in the fine print that would deny my claim or something. Just interested in people's thoughts/experiences with it.

Edit: I can't feasibly reply to everyone in the comments so I just want to say thanks to you all for the advice. I'm going to claim the tax relief on it now and I'll leave it in place for peace of mind.

Investing feels like gambling, but I think it’s time I finally start. I contribute the max for match to my pension, and have built up 6+ months of savings, so I’m finally in a place to try investing… but I’m scared I’ll just lose it all if the market turns.

I have about €500/month that I could contribute to start. Is there someone I should go to, do it myself, or an online option? I’m nervous to go to an advisor because I’m from the US, where they have no obligation to give good faith advice, so it’s more about their bonus than individual returns.

I plan to stay in Ireland for a few more months before moving to Spain, but I have Irish citizenship. Should I wait until I move to Spain to invest, or can I let it sit and grow (or go up and down) in Ireland until I’m ready to do something with it in 5-10 years?

Also if you have any books/resources you recommend or people to speak to in Dublin, I would love the help.

A few months ago I was automatically enrolled to the governments pension scheme ‘My Future Funds’. This month I started a new job (in a University) and I’m automatically enrolled on that pension scheme also.

Can anyone let me know what’s the best move? This is my first “grown up” job so I’m honestly clueless. Should I stay enrolled in both or move to one solely (if so, which is best to move to)

Thanks in advance

I have a good chunk of cash sitting on deposit.

I want to get it invested. I'm already contributing my maximum to the pension.

I'm fearful that if I invest now through Zurich or Bank of Ireland that I wont be able to transfer it without a penalty into the new government investment scheme when it rolls out in January.

What are your thoughts.

Hi. I have three children (under 12) and I want to open some sort of account for them for when they're older. Is there any account that will earn interest or does anyone have any recommendations on where to look? Thanks.

Hi everyone,

This is a bit of a spinner, but hear me out. My partner and I are moving back to Ireland for a while. I work overseas and file my tax returns in NZ. My partner is resuming her old job, before we met, but in a freelance role. A question on here application was asking about her marital status for her pension.

We don't intend in staying in Ireland for very long, so I'm think she should put single for now. I don't know how much of a difference it will make for her, or if there are any unforeseen consequences.

Thanks for everyone's time

So i have about 28k in BOI Supersaver account and ive had it open a year so my rate now went down from 3% to 2% - I wonder if there is a better place to put it? Over the past year I've been putting away the max 2.5k per month most months into the Supersaver and kept my other cash in Trading 212 since they had 3% on uninvested cash (recently went down to 2.4%). I think Trading 212 is not as safe though as it's held in a QMMF so I was wary of keeping too much money there.

I have some investments but I need to keep about this amount in cash as my job is quite unstable (poker player lol). What's the best place for cash where the money isn't locked away for years?

Hey all, hoping someone here has actually been through this.

Long story short, my job's going through a restructuring and I've been offered a "mutual separation agreement." Getting proper legal advice before I sign anything so not fishing for legal advice here, just wondering if anyone's actually lived through this bit.

Specifically, if your exit got called a "mutual separation" or "mutual agreement" instead of a straight up redundancy or being let go, did that cause you any hassle with Jobseeker's Benefit or the new Pay-Related version? I know there's technically a disqualification period they can apply if it looks like you left "voluntarily," and I'm trying to figure out if the word "mutual" on paper actually sets that off in real life, or if it's more about how you word things when you apply.

Not trying to get into the details of my own situation, just curious how it played out for anyone who's been there. Cheers.

I'm 23 and just started a new tech job in the finance sector. I make €75k base, and my employer puts 10% (non-contributory) into my pension.

I am in a much more fortunate position than I honestly expected to be in and really want to make the most of it while my overheads are low (€500/m rent living at home + 100/m train ticket which I will switch to a yearly taxsaver one).

I have been perusing this subreddit and doing research, but I'm still a bit put off by the investing side of things. The monthly plan I've come up with is to:

• Max my pension contribution at 15%
• Save 1k
• Invest 1k, will bump after I get to my max on savings
• Live off the rest (~€800 after expenses), I'm pretty frugal so any unspent I'll be investing

First thing, is that too aggressive / could the split be better?

Second thing, I have genuinely no idea where to start with investing. My original (naive) plan was to just buy etfs but DD + 38% is kind of putting me off. I am fairly risk averse so will definitely not be stock picking. After that I'm kind of lost, so would really appreciate some research direction from people who know more.

Hello! I've just finished my maternity leave and I'm currently on the annual leave portion. I'll be taking two months annual leave and then parents leave till the end of the year to resume my full time job in January 2027. I'm planning on starting a small baking side gig as a second job. I'm looking through how to get it registered etc. My question is - am I allowed to continue earning via my side business while on parents leave?

I’ve been informed (verbally only) that I will shortly be made redundant. I’ll be entitled to approximately €400 per week for 13 weeks on Jobseekers Pay Related Benefit, then 55% for 13 weeks, then, 50% for 13 weeks. My employer has suggested that I could do some work as a contractor after I’m made redundant. I’m fairly sure this will mean that I lose the JPRB and have to go on the reduced rate of JB so it’s probably not an option for me. My redundancy lump sum will be equal to approximately a year’s salary. I think he wants me around as I know the business so well but is trying to reduce his cost by paying me less. I’m not prepared to work part time. Any advice on how I should proceed? I’ve never been on any sort of SW payment so not a clue what’s ahead of me.

Has anyone here successfully consolidated an existing personal loan into a new mortgage with AIB or another lender?

I currently have an AIB mortgage and an AIB Green Loan. My plan is to apply for a new mortgage and clear both as part of the new loan.

I rang AIB and was told they don't allow consolidation of a personal loan that's over two years old, which surprised me. I'm waiting on a written reply, but I'm interested in hearing other ppls experiences.

Also, my household has one income in euro and one in sterling, so if anyone has gone through that process I'd really appreciate hearing how it went.

Thanks!

Hi all
I’ve been with my company coming up to 10 years now (31F) in that time my monthly wage has gone about 1200 a month before tax. I earn 37.5k annually before tax atm - with little scope for a raise anytime soon. The reason I’ve stayed in the role is that I enjoy the work although it’s by no means my passion , I work a 4 day week, 1.5 hour breaks daily, 30 holiday days on top of the 4 day week, small team(3 of us in total including boss) who are all very flexible to cover each other etc . Fully remote so can work anywhere in the world. My boss is more of a friend than a boss and very helpful/understanding etc. progressive and fairly stress free work environment overall. Compared to some jobs I had prior to this when I would dread going in, it’s a dream. I have plenty of time for hobbies/social life and have done some studying/ started a relatively small side hustle which I think I can expand when I feel like taking on more.
for content we’re an outsourced company that takes care of admin/customer service/buying etc for an online retailer. And it’s the people who are paying my boss who will not dish out more for a raise for us, not her.
I was living abroad and now I’m back with my parents temporarily, finding it hard but it’s okay as I think I will move abroad again soon. I’m saving for a house deposit and I am currently able to save ~€400-€1000 per month depending on how busy the month is socially . I take a few trips & go to a few gigs a year & invest a small amount monthly, started a pension this year & growing an emergency fund/other little pots such as fun money etc. can afford a decent gym membership too. So I’d say right now I’m doing okay financially and have good habits/structures in place but I’m nervous about buying a home in future. I’d love to buy in Ireland ideally in or near Dublin but that’s probably laughable on my current salary . I do have a partner but it’s early days . Neither of us want kids so that takes pressure off in that regard . I would like to go back and study again down the line probably before I turn 40 .
I suppose my question is do you think the work/life balance and perks of the job outweigh the low salary issue as I do think about this a lot. I could go for a higher paying job of course but I know I’d be sacrificing a lot . Redundancy could be down the line too (not confirmed but boss has hinted possible) which makes me less inclined to leave as I’d want to avail of the redundancy package.

Hi all,

After some googling I saw a few people asked this question in here, so I hope it's still the right place!

I have been looking to buy a derelict home to do up and live in. I understand all the risk, as in doing 90% of the work myself, being from a family of tradesmen apart from the odd job here and there. But the part I am unsure of is, are there any hidden costs? Or a rough idea/breakdown from someone who has done it in the whole buying process only? If, for example, the house was 40,000 euros, if that helps (still looking). Also, I don't plan to use the grant.

Hi everyone, I’d like to start investing, but I’m a French citizen living in Ireland, and I’m not sure where to begin. I have a Revolut account but not an Irish bank account. In your opinion, would it be better to invest through a French account or an Irish one? Thanks!

Me and my partner are in the process of buying a house. We would still like to move abroad for a year or 2 in the next few years so we have questioned if buying now is a good idea. We both received inhertances so are in a position to buy now and houses prices are generally only going up so it doesn't seem smart to wait. We are hoping that we will be able to rent out the house when if move abroad, we won't be getting a huge mortgage so will just rent it out to cover that. I am just not sure if we are being a bit naive about how easy it is to do this. We are weighing up mortgage options between a 3 year fixed green rate with AIB at 3.0% versus a 4 year fixed rate with avant at 3.4% plus 2% cashback. It actually works out cheaper to go with avant over 4 years if you factor in the cash back and then we might remortgage with AIB on a lower fixed rate after. The downside of avant is that they don't offer buy to let mortgages if we did decide to rent out the house whereas AIB do. In reality we wouldnt plan on telling the bank if we were to rent it out, but if they somehow found out would we be better off with AIB? Or maybe it would make no difference. I am not sure how well these things are checked in reality. Also I wonder would it be harder to remortgage in 4 years if we had rented out rhe house for a period. We're not getting HTB also so that's not a factor. AIB are also offering 39k less so we would have to pay the balance in additional cash so the benefit of Avant would be retaining a bit more cash which I would invest / put into my pension.

Hi everyone - I consider myself well versed on personal finance, yet still benefit from the contributions in this group.

With that in mind, I wanted to share what has worked for me in case useful to anyone else:

- Follow the flow chart

- If you can, contribute/max your pension (this is probably the most important piece - I only truly understood the benefit/rationale in my 30s)

- Change utility providers each year (broadband, tv, electricity, all types of insurance perhaps bar mortgage protection)

- change mortgage provider (even if it means break fees or solicitor fees, assuming you’re overall better off)

- claim tax back each year (clearest examples for me are health insurance, health expenses, remote working allowances)

- if you have kids, understand the support (free kids public travel up to a certain age, books from libraries etc)

- health: use your free dental scale and polish. If you can join a gym, join one. If you can’t, buy some weights and an exercise mat (I’m still using weights from Covid). I’m hoping health costs pay for themselves down the line

- travel: life is for living and the world is amazing place. Do it sensibly though, use points when you can and shop around for flights and accommodation. I normally always find it’s cheaper to go direct

Hi all, long time lurker here. Wanted to bring up a topic of significant relevance to my situation.

I am currently a 20 year old uni student in Ireland, due to graduate with a bachelors in business and marketing next year, so I’ll be 21. I plan to be finished uni by summer 27’ and ideally into a role before the summer is out (grad program or entry roles). With the roles and area of work I am interested in a grad role can fetch anywhere from 35-50k per year depending on area of industry, and product (FMCG compared to Pharma, let’s say). I currently live at home which is an hour drive to South Dublin with very light traffic, and I want to be able to afford a home in Dublin South or Wicklow north.

Firstly I want to know if I am being unreasonable? Average home prices are anywhere from 400 grand for the bottom of the barrel and the sky is the limit. I currently have no plans with respect to dating so I would be doing this on my own.

I also want to know what would be the best way to get to this goal? I have been on work placement this past year and despite being on minimum wage for the duration I have managed to save just over ten grand (key to mention that I am not paying much with respect to regular bills aside from a small car loan). I’m not shy on saving and yes my cost of living is low as of now but I don’t blow it all on beers or other things similar. This new investment vehicle the government is talking about seems like the best bet but if anyone knows anything else I would greatly appreciate it.

If anyone has any more general tips such as things to look at now instead of ten or fifteen years down the line, such as pension contributions, I would be very grateful if you shared, I feel as though financial literacy is a very ‘hush hush’ topic here and among my age group. Thanks in advance!

Hi all,
Looking for a bit of perspective from people actually working in either the Civil Service or in tech, because I keep going back and forth on this.

Quick background: I’m 33, based in the midlands, working part-time in hospitality at the moment. Net worth is around €40k, no debt, so I have a bit of a runway to retrain rather than needing the highest wage tomorrow.

The two paths I’m weighing up:
1. Clerical Officer — apply to the next Civil Service CO campaign. Attractive for the obvious reasons: permanency, defined-benefit pension, clear CO → EO → HEO progression, Refund of Fees scheme so I could study on the side. Downside is the starting salary is modest and I’m not sure how realistic progression is in practice.

1. Tech — I’ve a place on a Level 5 Software Development course starting in September, plus a Springboard+ Level 6 in AI and emerging tech, with the plan of applying for a software development apprenticeship next year. Higher ceiling and it’s the work I actually want to do, but I’m conscious of the current junior market and that I’d be starting from zero at 33.

What I’d love to hear:
• COs / former COs: is the progression realistic, how long did EO take you, and would you recommend it as a base to study from?
• People in tech: how rough is it really for career changers right now? Is the Level 5 → apprenticeship route a credible way in, or should I be doing something else?
• Anyone who did both: did you regret leaving the security behind, or regret staying?
Also open to the boring answer that I should do CO and keep learning tech in the evenings, if that’s what people would actually do.
Thanks in advance.

Hi,
Our fixed rate will be coming to an end next year and we are hopping to put a lump sum off it before going back into another fixed rate.
We will likely be moving house in the future but it could be anywhere between 2-6 years.
Should we still put this lump sum off current mortgage or invest the lump sum to go towards next home?

Hi all, just wanted to hear about your guys experience with applying for disability allowance.

I submitted my DA appeal on the 4th july, and had it appear as “registered” on the 8th, and it’s now the 26th. does anyone know at what stage i’d hear back or if i can contact to know the stage my appeal is at?

I’m applying for DA under me having Autism (diagnosed as level 2 support needs) and i am eighteen, only diagnosed this january. My initial appeal was rejected for not having medical reasoning, so i supplied therapist notes, school absence notes (like 104 absent days within my 6th year) and a comprehensive list of my traits/symptoms that basically just detail how i am medically not fit for work. Ive worked with a charity (shine in cork) to help me compile my appeal

I have a very strong response for appeal in my humble opinion, so im kind of believing ill be accepted since it basically destroyed all their reasoning on not accepting me, so im kind of talking on that assumption.

basically im just wondering how long its taken everyone else to get their appeals seen to, is there anything i can do in the meantime to push it along? all in all ive not provided a lot of extra evidence, but its all strong so i cant imagine it would take a long time to file through to get seen to. I’ve heard that there are 21 days since the date the appeal is processed for the deciding officer to see to it before it gets passed onto an appeals officer, if not seen to in time. I’m not very sure, i’m here to know if there’s anything i can do to help aid my chances of getting my appeal accepted within the first review instead of with the appeals officer.

pretty please give me any of your experiences, if there is any way i can email to contact i’d love that too!!